1944-2013. Born and raised in southwest Louisiana, “Cajun Country,” George Rodrigue preserved on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage — including its land, people, traditions and mythology. It was a Cajun legend, the loup-garou, that spawned his most famous series,
BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue is airing on public TV stations, presented by WLAE New Orleans and distributed by American Public Television. Stream exclusively with the PBS Passport app by becoming a member of your local PBS affiliate.
“I grew up feeling a strong relationship to the old things, to the old culture, and I got a stronger feeling when I went to Los Angeles to school. I really started to understand how different I was and how different my Louisiana was.”
BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue, the first-ever career-spanning documentary on the iconic Louisiana artist behind the world-renowned “Blue Dog,” has been honored with the 2025 Suncoast Regional Emmy Award for Cultural Documentary. The award was presented Saturday, December 6, at the Suncoast Emmy Awards ceremony at The […]
I’ve always approached painting knowing that my job is not to make an accurate representation of a subject–
IT’S GOT TO TRANSCEND THAT.
Discover “Mardi Gras in Lafayette” a striking piece by George Rodrigue from 1978 (private collection). This 40 x 30-inch oil on canvas is our featured Catalogue Raisonné work of the week.
If you own a unique George Rodrigue artwork, the Rodrigue family invites you to share details for inclusion in the comprehensive catalogue raisonné documenting his life’s work.
For submission guidelines and more information, visit https://georgerodrigue.com/catalogue-raisonne/ or reach out at [email protected]
In 1994, artist George Rodrigue ruled as King of the Washington Mardi Gras, a private Mardi Gras for 5,000 guests, hosted annually in Washington D.C. by the Louisiana Legislature and the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians. #tbt
George is still celebrated by the Krewe as one of the best kings ever. He broke many traditions and customized his costume to include a Blue Dog scepter and Blue Dog boots (pictured).
We raise a toast to this year’s royalty, King Gray Stream and Queen Sarah Heebe, as they reign over this week’s DC Mardi Gras Ball.
🌟 Dive into the heart of New Orleans’ vibrant French Quarter with this stunning aerial drone view of Rodrigue Studios, followed by an exclusive inside tour of our gallery! 🎥
Nestled in this historic district—famous for its Creole architecture, jazz roots, and cultural melting pot—our space honors the legacy of George Rodrigue, the iconic Cajun artist behind the beloved Blue Dog series. From his early landscapes capturing Louisiana’s bayous to the Blue Dog that became a pop art icon and global symbol of joy and mystery, Rodrigue’s work continues to inspire here at 730 Royal Street.
Come experience the magic yourself—art, history, and NOLA spirit in one unforgettable spot! #BlueDog #GeorgeRodrigue #FrenchQuarter #NewOrleansArt #RodrigueStudios
This early landscape from George Rodrigue shows the artist developing his perspective on Louisiana. After spending time in California studying art, Rodrigue returned home and began painting the local landscape. In this work Rodrigue depicts the ground in luscious detail which serves as a path leading the viewer’s eye to cabin structure in the background. Though Rodrigue painted this landscape before he began incorporating figures into his work, the cabin alludes to the human presence on the land. The painting also includes an early version of an oak tree which would go on to become a signature in Rodrigue’s work. This is an excellent example of George Rodrigue’s early work.
Untitled Landscape with Cabin
1970
Oil on canvas
18 x 24 inches
Available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Contact us to learn more at [email protected]
“Mardi Gras season interrupts winter with a burst of color. These hues come from the thousands of different costumes, masks, flags, floats, beads, and doubloons, all of which swirl around the three primary colors of purple, green and gold .” -G.R.
Pictured: “Mardi Gras Dog” by George Rodrigue, Original silkscreen, 24x48 inches, edition 90
Happy Mardi Gras season from Rodrigue Studios! Shop the collection at Mardi Gras link in bio ⬆️
Discover “Voodoo Sky Ride” a striking piece by George Rodrigue from 2010 (private collection). This 24 x 18-inch acrylic on linen is our featured Catalogue Raisonné work of the week.
If you own a unique George Rodrigue artwork, the Rodrigue family invites you to share details for inclusion in the comprehensive catalogue raisonné documenting his life’s work.
For submission guidelines and more information, visit https://georgerodrigue.com/catalogue-raisonne/ or reach out at [email protected]
In 1991, George Rodrigue created a painting called Right Place, Wrong Time, featuring his iconic Blue Dog as the focal point. Early in the Blue Dog series, Rodrigue imagined the dog, inspired by his late pet Tiffany, as being on a journey to find him. In this narrative, Tiffany’s spirit mistakenly ended up in the wrong artist’s studio, adding a layer of playful mystique to the Blue Dog’s presence. In Right Place, Wrong Time, the Blue Dog appears in a surreal scene, set against a backdrop of nude figures inspired by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres’ 19th-century painting Turkish Bath. This juxtaposition is framed within one of Rodrigue’s signature Louisiana landscapes, characterized by dark, brooding oak trees, enhancing the painting’s enigmatic mood.
A year later, Rodrigue created duplicate versions of Right Place, Wrong Time in a different medium. In the early 1990s, Rodrigue occasionally created versions of his Cajun and Blue Dog paintings that were not lithographs or silkscreens but were done in multiples. He called these versions Direct Image Transfers (DIT), and they were primarily created at the request of a collector if a desired original painting was no longer available. You can think of a DIT as a high-quality, large-format photograph of a painting rendered on masonite board or canvas. Rodrigue usually covered these works with a layer of varnish to protect the image. We’ve added a UV plexiglass to preserve the work’s color and surface.
Rodrigue created DITs for a few years before committing fully to the printmaking process as a way to reproduce his work. For that reason, there are not many DITs in circulation.
Right Place, Wrong Time
1992
Direct Image Transfer on wood masonite
40 x 30 inches (sold framed as is)
Available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.
Happy Carnival season from Rodrigue Studios! George Rodrigue rode for three years on Mardi Gras Day on the famous Blue Dog Float as Grand Marshall for the Krewe of Argus in Metairie, Louisiana (pictured 2002) 💜💚💛 #tbt
Learn more about available Mardi Gras work at Mardi Gras link in bio ⬆️
